The present disclosure herein relates to synchronization of images provided from a plurality of cameras, and more particularly, to a frame grabber, an image processing system including the same, and an image processing method using the frame grabber.
A frame grabber represents an apparatus for converting an analog image signal received from a camera or the like into digital image data processable by an electronic device. The frame grabber receives an image signal on a frame-by-frame basis, and stores, in a memory, image data based on the received image signal.
It has been required to develop vehicles which enable users to view the periphery of a vehicle, such as the front, the rear, and the sides of the vehicle, through a single screen to provide convenience to the users. Furthermore, smart cars or advanced driver assistance systems (ADASs) are attracting great attention, in which image recognition algorithms for recognizing surrounding objects are used to enable autonomous driving. A plurality of cameras may be arranged in a vehicle to monitor the periphery of the vehicle. The cameras may monitor in different directions, and may provide a plurality of image signals to a frame grabber.
In the case where a frame grabber receives a plurality of image signals from a plurality of cameras, it is important to synchronize the image signals or image data. When the image signals or the image data are not synchronized, it is difficult to secure the stability and the accuracy of an image since the image is distorted. Therefore, for the case where a frame grabber receives a plurality of image signals from a plurality of cameras, a frame grabber which minimizes a synchronization error is required.